Obama Tells Ohio State Grads to Reject the "Voices" Warning of Government Tyranny -- and Join the Collective

RUSH: Now, Obama was at Ohio State. He did the commencement address at the Ohio State University. We have a couple of sound bites here of the president's remarks. Here's the first one...

OBAMA: (godlike echo) You've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that's at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They warn that tyranny is always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Because what they suggest is that our brave and creative and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can't be trusted.

RUSH: Wow.

Okay, so who's he talking about here?

I mean, these are 22 year olds tops, 18 to 22. "You've grown up hearing voices incessantly warning government is nothing more than some separate, sinister..." Who's he talking about? He's gotta be talking about their parents. (New Castrati impression) "No, Mr. Limbaugh! He's talking about you." He can't possibly be talking about me. He doesn't think these kids are listening to me!

He's talking about their parents. He's talking about anybody, actually, that would dare criticize government. He can't have that, see? So he's gotta set 'em straight. How about these great qualities and characteristics: "[O]ur brave, creative, unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can't be trusted..."? Here's the second thing he said.

OBAMA: (godlike echo) We have never been a people who place all of or faith in government to solve our problems. We shouldn't want to. But we don't think the government is the source of all our problems, either. Because we understand that this democracy is ours -- and as citizens, we understand that it's not about what America can do for us; it's about what can be done by us together through the hard and frustrating but absolutely necessary work of self-government -- and Class of 2013, you have to be involved in that process.

STUDENTS: (smattering of applause)

RUSH: Now, here's one of his passages: "You've been tested and you've been tempered by events that your parents and I never imagined that we'd see when we sat where you sit -- and yet, in spite of all this or perhaps because of it, yours has become a generation possessed with that most American of ideas: That people who love their country can change it for the better. For all the turmoil, for all the times you've been let down or frustrated at the hand that you've been dealt, what I've seen -- what we've witnessed from your generation -- is that perennial quintessentially American value of optimism, altruism, empathy, tolerance, a sense of community, and a sense of service.

"All of which make us optimistic for our future."

So here he lists "the quintessentially American value of optimism, altruism, empathy, tolerance, a sense of community, and a sense of service." What did he omit? Well, he omitted hard work. He omitted responsibility. He didn't mention self-reliance. He didn't mention enterprise. He didn't mention imagination. He didn't mention independence. I would think these characteristics and these traits distinguish Americans, in the eyes of Americans and the world.

The French are optimistic. They look forward to their next bottle of Bordeaux. People everywhere can be empathetic. People everywhere can be tolerant. People everywhere can have a sense of community. People everywhere can have a sense of service. That's not special. The things he lists here that define America as something special are common! They're not exclusive to this country. The things he omitted are the things that built this country.

Hard work, responsibility, self-reliance.

That's a dirty word to Democrats. They want people to believe that self-reliance means you don't do anything with anybody. "You don't count on anybody. You don't help anybody; you don't accept help! You're on your own! You don't like government. You don't like anybody. You're a hater! You just rely on yourself." That's how they want self-reliance to be thought of. They don't want it thought of as accepting responsibility for one's life. Enterprise. Imagination. Independence. Entrepreneurism.

All of these things, by the way, contribute to togetherness -- the togetherness and the cohesion of a culture, of a community, of a town, of a city, of a population. All of these things -- hard work, responsibility, self-reliant, enterprise, imagination, independence, entrepreneurism, all of those things -- promote a togetherness and a sense of community that is hardworking, respectful, law-abiding. But what do we get from him? The usual characteristics and traits of the left.

"Altruism:" Giving the government your money. "Empathy:" Feeling sorry for people. Tolerance: Accepting minorities. "A sense of community," meaning: Sacrifice who you are and become part of the commune. Become a faceless member of a group. "A sense of service:" Serve your government. Do that. Do not service yourself. Do you not take care of yourself. These traits that he cites are nothing special and they're certainly nothing unique, and the ones that he leaves out are the ones that actually explain this country.

It's absolutely amazing.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Here's Karen in Dayton, Ohio. Great to have you on the program. Hi.

CALLER: Well, thank you, and I'd like to say thank you for continuing to be a voice of reason and a beacon so we don't get discouraged.

RUSH: Well, thank you. I appreciate that. I really do.

CALLER: I was just calling briefly. I realize there's great big things going on with Benghazi. Glad that's getting the coverage it is, but my perspective, two years ago, June of 2011 I was at Ohio State when John Boehner gave the commencement address, and I guess I couldn't describe the difference between what he said and how he approached it and what was said yesterday by Obama.

RUSH: Give it a shot.

CALLER: Okay.

RUSH: And if you stumble, be confident that I am here to take over.

CALLER: That you'll cover for me.

RUSH: Right.

CALLER: Basically if I had to give the characteristics, John Boehner he was, you know, congratulatory to the students, a little humorous, humble, but the biggest thing, it was their day. He recognized their achievement, that they worked hard and sacrificed. You said three of my words, hard work, sacrifice, and responsibility, those students did all of that to achieve their education. It wasn't the government. Maybe they had a loan to get them there, but they did the work.

RUSH: Some of them slept with the professor, but not enough to really count.

CALLER: Well, and he also focused on that it was their future, that they, as individuals, with that newly minted education you could go out and make what you want of yourself, not, again, being supported or, you know, given opportunities to the government.

RUSH: You're doing great. So Boehner went out and basically made the day about the graduates. He praised them. He complimented them.

CALLER: Exactly.

RUSH: He told them what was ahead of them. He told them the responsibilities they were about to accept. He didn't make it about himself, right?

CALLER: Well, yes, and I have to say I had people with us who weren't in my way of thinking, Republican. They appreciated and liked his speech. So it was apolitical, I would have to say. Our local paper gave some direct quotes that were much more political than what you quoted previously, and all I thought was everybody at graduation, you want it to be happy, it's about the students, it's about the families, not an agenda of Obama, of any politician. It should just be the typical graduation.

RUSH: He's not capable of that. This is my whole point. I'm sorry to interrupt here but the constraints of time are such, plus you've hit a hot button here. I've been talking about this all day long and I'm so glad, Karen, that you called. It's not possible for a guy like Obama to go to a commencement speech and not make it about him and what he believes. And what did he do? Here you've got this huge graduating class at the Ohio State University, what does Obama do? He tells them that they must focus on government and ignore anybody who says anything negative about government. That they must sacrifice their individuality. They must set that aside and become part of a community where there's empathy and togetherness and a sense of service and gotta forget all of this anti-government rhetoric.

Clinton did the same thing during his era when he went out and made commencement speeches. And he fed off the Oklahoma City bombing when he made his commencement speeches, after that occurred. Clinton, he'd go out there (imitating Clinton), "There are so many loud and angry voices in America today, the sole goal seems to try to keep people as paranoid as possible and the rest of us all torn up and upset with each other." That's what Obama said. It's the same thing Obama's doing (imitating Obama), "You have to ignore these voices. You have to pay no attention to these voices. These people don't like government because government is the sole salvation, government's where our country is organized around, government's everything." And it is to him.

It is the most important thing to him. And he wants it to be to as many people as possible. He wants people looking to government for practically every problem they have and every need or desire they have. So of course he's gonna tell graduates this. If he were honest, he coulda said, "You know, you guys could have saved a lot of money and not even spent four years here because you can do what I want you to do, never having had to come here. You can join a commune. You can love and appreciate and adore government. You can join service. You can be tolerant, and you never had to spend a day at Ohio State. But you did. You came here and you asked me to speak, so I'm gonna tell you what's important."

But he didn't spend much time talking about them and their future except as it relates to government. One of the things that Boehner said when he did the commencement address, "Life isn't always about you." Being useful to others, being involved in your community, that's what I call humility. If you do the right thing for the right reasons, good things will happen. That's what Boehner said. Obama basically shows up and says, in government you should trust. Life isn't about you. It's about government. Be loyal and devoted to government. And make sure as many people as you know are also loyal and devoted to government. Life is about government and being loyal and devoted to the people who lead it. That's his message. Love us, respect us, tolerate us, vote for us. Become one of us. That's his message. I'm glad you called, Karen. Thanks much.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: So I just checked the e-mail. I can't tell you the number of people who think I am all wet when I say Obama was not talking about me at the Ohio State University commencement when he said, "Unfortunately, you've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity." The emails say, "Rush, what are you talking about? He has to be talking about you!" One person said, "From the minute these kids go to kindergarten all they hear about is how wonderful government is!

"Grade school, kindergarten, middle school, high school, all they ever hear is how wonderful government is. You're the only voice he could possibly be talking about! These people don't listen to their parents." That may be true, folks. I just must tell you, my ego is such that I do not immediately think I am the focus of every news story. I do not have that kind of ego. "You've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity."

Okay. I know he's gotta be talking about me in part, but I honestly thought he meant their parents. I mean, we're talking about 18 to 22 year olds. He's gotta be talking about their parents. (interruption) All right, all right. Snerdley thinks I'm so full of it. (interruption) No, I'm not trying to be falsely humble. I'm just telling you. I just don't automatically think these people are talking about me, but Snerdley said, "Wait a minute, Rush! Come on.

"At the White House Correspondents Dinner, whatever it is, 2500 people are in that room. The first words out of his mouth: 'Rush Limbaugh warned you. Second term, baby.'" Snerdley says, "Look, there are 300 elected officials that are totally opposed to Obama, and none of them get under his skin except maybe the House budget guy. But you do." I said, "Well, why is that?" Snerdley said, "The reason you do is you're the only guy who has him nailed and tells everybody."

Now, that I'll have to admit.

I'm one of a precious few who does dare properly define these people every day. (interruption) I know. Just like I did with Clinton.